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The Dems Go Green
an article by Charlie
This year's Democratic convention was an important step in the road to removing George W. Bush from office and promoting a global culture of peace...but not for the reason you might think. Behind the scenes of several Generals, Admirals, and Vietnam veterens endorsing John Kerry's military credentials and leadership on the battlefield, the Democrats held the most environmentally friendly convention in history.
Shortly after Kerry "reported for duty" to start his speech and saluted the crowd, delegates were flooded with balloons and confetti all made of recycled materials. The events were all powered by renewable energy sources or an onsite fuel cell generator, and public transportation by electric hybrid buses was used to transport delegates around Boston.
The Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions is behind the effort, and the theme of clean energy jibes well with one of the main domestic planks of the Kerry campaign, energy independence. Although the Green Party convention won't receive much press, at least Democratic convention was greener than usual.
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
Can peace be promoted through national elections in the US?,
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LATEST READER COMMENT:
Recently there was an election in Wisconsin which failed to recall (replace) the governor who attacked the trade union movement. How should this be interpreted? Here is an excellent analysis which I just received from the Tikkun Network of Spiritual Progressives:
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It is election night in Madison, Wis., and I am standing where it all began, in front of the state Capitol here in the heart of America’s rebel dairyland.
Earlier today was the recall election against Gov. Scott Walker, the viciously right-wing governor whose legislative attacks on public workers and unions sparked a grassroots rebellion in early 2011 involving hundreds of thousands of angry Wisconsinites. The Wisconsin uprising, through its occupation of the Capitol and its sheer massive numbers, inspired people across America and beyond to fight for economic justice in bold new ways, paving the way for Occupy Wall Street in the fall.
For me, the movement was as beautiful as it was personal — I’d gone to college in Madison, taught in the Milwaukee public schools, and organized events in Green Bay. Scott Walker was attacking my old teachers, my students, and my friends. But they fought back, and ####, it looked like they – we! – might actually turn the tide against decades of corporate rule. Standing here outside the Capitol on election day, amidst the glorious Solidarity Singers leading 1,000 people in rousing versions of “Eyes on the Prize” and “Union Maid,” the smell of hope was strong in the summer air.
And then the results came in.
Walker 53%, Barrett 46%.
I saw the blood drain from a thousand faces all at the same time. It wasn’t pretty. . ...more.
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